Prepare for CVSA’s Annual Brake Safety Week: August 25-31

CVSA’s Commitment to Brake Safety

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled this year’s Brake Safety Week from August 25 to August 31. During this period, CVSA-certified inspectors will perform routine checks on commercial motor vehicles, emphasizing brake systems and components. Vehicles found with brake-related out-of-service violations will be sidelined until repairs are completed.

This year’s campaign will focus on the critical role of brake linings and pads. Problems with these components can result in vehicle violations and negatively impact a motor carrier’s safety rating. Additionally, some jurisdictions will use performance-based brake testers (PBBT), which assess a vehicle’s braking efficiency.

Educational efforts by inspectors, motor carriers, and industry stakeholders are vital to the campaign’s success. Key initiatives include:

• Inspector’s Inspection Procedure: Observing the detailed process inspectors use during their inspections.
• Checklist for S-Cam Brakes: Accessing a comprehensive checklist for inspecting S-cam brakes, including measuring pushrod stroke.
• Vehicle Components: Gaining insights into the components that inspectors will examine.
• Brake Tips Flyer: Utilizing a flyer with ten essential tips for maintaining brake linings and pads.

Brake Safety Week reminds drivers and motor carriers of the importance of proactive vehicle maintenance. It also provides law enforcement with a platform to stress the significance of brake safety.

Throughout Brake Safety Week, inspectors will gather data on brake inspections and violations, reporting it directly to CVSA. This data will cover general inspection and violation information, with a specific focus on brake linings and pads.

Brake-related violations are the most frequent out-of-service vehicle violations found during roadside inspections. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2023 vehicle violation data, six of the top 20 vehicle violations were brake related. The previous year’s CVSA International Road check showed that brake system violations accounted for 25.2% of all vehicle out-of-service violations during that three-day event.